There is Only One Essex Junction What's in a Name? This village was originally known as Hubbel's Falls after an early settler who built a mill in Essex on the Winooski River. During the autumn of 1849 the Vermont Central's owner, Charles Paine, (who had served briefly as Governor of Vermont from 1841-1843) built the railroad line through Essex and his conductors referred to the station stop as Painesville. In 1851, the Vermont & Canada (V&C) Railroad completed tracks from the Canadian border to join the Vermont Central Railraod in Essex. Paine met financial ruin and public scandal connected with his construction of the rail line. V&C management maneuvered behind the scenes to have him removed and he was voted out of his position as president on 1852. The Vermont & Canada Railroad then took over Paine's lines. The new management ignored Paine's legacy and their employees called the stop Essex Junction, which became the official name by action of the State Legislature in 1892. From the 1860s through the early 20th century, Essex Junction saw numerous passengers and freight moving between Montreal, the Great Lakes region, and important New England cities such as Boston and Hartford. Travelling todayTrains continue to move through Essex Junction, however the vast majority of people now travel through the area's Five Corners by automobile. Serving more than 30,000 vehicle per day, it is one of the busiest traffic intersections in Vermont. A train crossing during evening rush hour reminds all that Essex Junction is indeed a transportation crossroads. This photo taken, in 1956, shows Canadian National Railway steam locomotive #6173 which weighed over 400,000 pounds and put out aout 3,000 Horsepower. Diesel engines, the standard today, were first introduced in 1941. The last steam engines ran through Essex Junction in 1957. The train shed was built in 1867 and stood for nearly 100 years. This view to the east is taken from the vicnity of Park Street, about 100 yards south of this station. The curved track is the old Burlington & Lamoille Branch, discontinued in 1938. Courtesy of the Jerry Fox collection. Courtesy of the Baily-House Library, University of Vermont. Central Vermont employees pose for a promotion of the "Ambassador" which ran between Montreal, Essex Junction, Boston and New York.
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